


Bring Your Kid to Work Day

by Lightest_Shadow



Category: Half-Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: AU, Angst, Child trauma, Developing Trauma, Gen, Mutilation, Oh also, gordon tries to stay a good dad, more tags will be added as needed, or requested, potential detail of emotions, since an arm gets cut off canonically, the resonance cascade happened on bring your kid to work day
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26944927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightest_Shadow/pseuds/Lightest_Shadow
Summary: Black Mesa has decided to have a bring your kid to work day. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a bad day for it, as the Resonance Cascade is happening regardless.
Comments: 15
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a TikTok that was actually humorous, but this fic probably won't be. Sorry.

"Daaaaad, I'm booooorrrreed!"

Gordon laughed at his son. "Joshie, we've only just entered the main building. We're almost to the fun stuff."

"I wanna play games. Cowboy games."

Gordon slightly ignores him, picking him up to move faster.

"Howdy, hey!" He says, showing politeness as he walks by co-workers.

Joshua was looking over his father's shoulder, intent on eying down the strange guard following. He tugged on Gordon's hair a bit to get his attention before the guard spoke.

"S'cuse me," Gordon "hmm"'d in reply, prompting a continuation from the guard.

"Do you either of you have your passport?"

"Passport?" Gordon starts, but Joshua interrupts. "Isn't that for leaving the country."

The was a pause before he got a reply "yeah, uhh... Black Mesa is concidered a different country. Passport?"

Gordon groaned. The mix of this guard's nonsense and other sounds were starting to give him a headache. And was starting to cause Joshua's vocal tic.

Speaking over the random bursts of cowboys, Gordon answers the guard. "No, we didn't bring our passports."

The guard walks over to another, who is trying to tame two kids at once, and whispers to the overloaded guard before coming back.

"Yeah, he says you're not allowed in here."

"He didn't- cowboys!- didn't say anything about it though... Cowboys!"

Joshua's eyes meet the guards, and the guard looks away at the other one. "Look, he's so upset."

Gordon tries not to laugh, seeing one of the kids climbing on his back and the other only not running off because of a child leash, attempting to get to the door Gordon needs to go through. "I think it's just his kids driving him nuts, dude. Look, I'm gonna go through now."

"Alright well, I'm gonna follow you."

"COWBOYS!"

A loud shout left Joshua, catching everyone's attention.

He tried to hide, tears forming. The guard who decided he had to follow got close.

"Hey, small one." Joshua looks up, unsure. Gordon was ready to protect his boy, but that seemed unnecessary almost immediately.

The guard sung out a note and blue orbs flowed out, hitting Joshua and popping like bubbles. After it was done Joshua laughed a bit and stopped ticking.

"What did you do? What was that?"

"That's uhh... The Black Mesa Sweet Voice. It calmed him down."

Calmed him down was an understatement, it was as if he was never overwhelmed or bored this whole time.

"I'm still gonna follow you."

Gordon groaned, but went through the door, glad to see a familiar face once he did.

"Hello Dr. Coomer!"

"Ah, Hello Gordon! And this much be Joshua!"

A large smile formed on the child and Gordon let him go and say hi properly.

"Coomer!" He said, grabbing the name easily. The older scientist picked up the child with no effort. "Oh, does my name travel through your house?"

Joshua nodded. "Dad says you're one of the best friends he has! And you know a lot about many things!"

He let the two chat. After all, Coomer may be the closest thing to a grandfather Joshua would be allowed to interact with. As he wondered a bit, not going too far from the lockers, he runs into a large retriever.

Who the hell brought a dog?

"Oh, hello, sorry!" A voice says on the other side of the dog. "Sunkist, move."

The man on the other side was pretty tall, but his age was herd to figure out. He seemed to somehow be both older and younger than everyone here. He continued talking a bit, preventing Gordon from returning the hello.

"My name's Tommy! And this is Sunkist!"

"Hey, Tommy..." Gordon says. "Is this where you should be? Or the dog?"

"Sunkist is a good dog!" He said, a little upset. "I brought him for the day, as he's my son. N-nothing said we had to... That we couldn't bring pets!"

That... Actually made sense. It was kinda against the spirit of it all, but it made sense.

"Alright, what are you doing here? You going to the cafeteria?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm on lunch break!" Gordon backed up to make room for Sunkist to turn around. "Well, I gotta get back to my-"

Tommy added to his comment, either unaware or uncaring that Gordon was talking. "I drink soda for lunch!" Was shouted as he walks off.

After standing there for a while, Gordon went back to the locker room, picking up his son.

He had to practically run to get to the next part. Between the moment with Tommy and his dog, more passport nonsense from the guard, wo Joshua managed to get the name out of as Benrey, and convincing Joshua to follow Coomer to a safe area, as his job is dangerous, he was running extremely late.

He gets to the air lock, convinces Benrey to stay out, he had tried to talk with the coworkers in the air lock, only to be shut down.

"Ok, no one talks in this place, I guess. No one knows how to be kind and friendly- HOW THE FUCK?!?"

Standing in the test chamber, a place that always has at least a bit of radiation, was the same person he left outside of the air lock.

Gordon walks in shortly after shouting at Benrey and, once again, trying to convince the guy to leave.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, you're waiting to steal something."

"What could I-" Gordon's comment was interrupted by a familiar voice calling to him.

"Dad! Dad! Da-Cowboys! Dad! Look! Look! I'm a... A die-rect-or!"

Gordon smiled and decided then and there to ignore Benrey. "Yes you are, Joshie! Why not tell daddy what he needs to do next?"

And that's what happened. With help from the actual scientists in the same safe zone, Joshua gave Gordon the directions.

It seems it didn't matter how careful he was in putting the crystal where it needed to go, something was bound to go wrong.

The exact moment the crystal touched the beams, it started going out of control. Sparks flew off of the machine, and panic arose.

"Look what you've done!"

"Oh, no you went too fast!"

"Dad?!?"

"Shield the kid, Sunkist!"

One of the group jumped into the test room and began screaming once he realized the full extent of the situation.

And then a flash. Then quiet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some wondering in the bowels of Black Mesa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story may start getting a bit mixed up on and missing some canon events. My memory is bad sometimes. It'll get back on proper track at a specific moment.

Gordon woke up, only hearing a ringing in his ears and a small bit of electric static.

"Ugh... What happened?"

He stood slowly as he tried to remember, working backwards.

"The... The machine exploded... After someone ju- aaah! Jumped in. A-and I was admittedly slightly distracted by that damn guard a- aough my head! And..."

Gordon shot the rest of the way up. "Joshua."

Headache forgotten, Gordon grabbed the nearest weapon, a crowbar, and ran further in.

The first living thing he encountered, after removing rubble from his path, was the one scientist who jumped into the test chamber.

"Are you that motherfucker who fucked up the whole experiment?"

Gordon's blood began to boil along with its speeding. "You think *I* fucked it up? You think I fucked it up??"

The older scientist stood up, got right up to Gordon, and practically growled the words around sharp teeth. "I think you fucked it up."

Gordon rubs the bridge of his nose. "Look, whatever. All I know is I was doing what you were relaying over to Joshua, and that that damn guard was accusing me of theft and demanding a passport."

"You have one though, right?"

"Why? Would I have my passport? While at work?"

"Company protocol."

"Since when, Doctor...?"

"Bubby. And since today."

Gordon facepalmed. If this guy was telling the truth, then of course he wouldn't have known. The emails from work never seem to reach him.

"Alright, unimportant. Do you know where-" Gordon's thoughts got interrupted when a certain someone walked his way over.

"Did I hear mention of passports?"

Gordon blinked at him in reply andvthen started walking off. This wasn't getting him any closer to the answers he needed, and he couldn't be messing around.

Around the corner Gordon finally spotted someone living.

"Tommy!"

As he begins running over Tommy shouts at him. "Watch out, there's creatures!"

"What are you-"

His own words got inturrupted by an alien creature jumping at him.

The unexpected nature of the attack made it to where all Gordon got to do was prevent the freaky thing from landing on him, especially on the face. Benrey then fired something... Something bouncy? And dangerous as it hit the creature and it instantly died.

"What was that?"

Benrey went to answer, but Gordon realized it wasn't worth it and went up to Tommy as the guard was speaking.

"Tommy, where's Joshua?"

Tommy kinda moved his head in a specific way, towards a bit of rubble that looked replaced in a large tent.

Gordon squinted, confused.

"Cowboys! Mr. Tommy? Is it safe now?"

Gordon got so relieved when he heard that he ended up collapsing.

He had no idea the extent of his worry until that moment the still mostly cheery face came out with help from the giant retriever Tommy brought. He'd never been more glad to see a canine, either.

He gets back up and both he and Joshua go running to each other. He picks up his son and starts searching for injuries.

Brushing his slightly puffed out hair out of his face, there's relief at a lack of anything more than a scrape. No injuries on his arms or legs. Heartbeat and breating is as steady as one's can be after this. Gordon hugs Joshua a little tightly.

And then pulls away on noticing Joshua's back pocket was holding something.

"Joshie, what's in you pockets?"

Upon being put back on the ground, Joshua started emptying out his pockets.

The front two were empty, with the exception of a fidget ring that both of them thought was lost forever. It turns out the back pockets both had things. One had a few wrappers of oatmeal bars, and the other had a large pocket knife. This was the only item he didn't haphazardly drop onto the ground.

"Why do you have a knife?"

"Well... Cowboys! Well, Mr. Tommy said I may need it."

Gordon looks at Tommy.

"He needed... I-I didn't know if he'd get... Get separated from me or not. So I gave him the kni- a-a weapon!"

Gordon sighs, letting Joshua put the knife back in his pocket.

"Lets hope you don't have to use it, then."

They kept going until they found Coomer.

"Ah, hello Gordon! Hello Joshua! I was just about to finish up fixing things! Let me just..."

He presses a button and then makes a sound when nothing, not even the beam that flashes in randomly, changes.

"Doctor Coomer I need you to come over here you are like an inch away from some sort or radiation beam."

Without moving much, Coomer replies rather sillily.

"I brought my passport."

While motioning for Joshua to stay low, he continues talking to the older scientist.

"A passport isn't going to protect- an HEV suit isn't going to protect one from that!"

"Now Gordon, you don't need to yell. I'm trying to stay calm and you should too!"

Fortunately, despite the death beam, the group gets out of that room, moving on.

Almost immediately the next thing was a danger.

"Careful, the laser rig's been compromised!"

Gordon had to hold back a groan on the obviousness about that statement.

"Yeah, it's been completely comprised, and the security guard, Be-Benrey?" He kinda glances behind and next to himself to see if he remembered the guard's name correctly. "Benrey is sitting right in-"

Gordon's words and Joshua's vision were cut off almost simultaneously as a laser made contact with Benrey's head. Wether direct or not, it clearly caused him some pain by the scream and rushing out.

"Jeez, are you alright?" Gordon asks him without thinking. When Benrey doesn't answer right away, Joshua mirrors his father.

Benrey opens his mouth, but instead of a vocal answer, a bunch of colorful orbs leave his mouth.

"Oh god he's spewing out blue a-and purple!"

"Is that normal?"

Before Gordon can answer, Joshua starts shouting repeatedly.

"Purple! Sunset purple!"

"O-oh, you're right! I-I know what this says!"

"Ok?" Gordon says, skeptical that colored orbs floating in the air could have meaning.

"This particular purple means 'he's ok'!"

"He's ok?"

At the same time Tommy answers with a "yeah" Benrey gives a thumbs up. Guess he's fine.

"Ok Joshie, I need you to stay low and carefully go through the hall. Don't touch the lasers or anything sharp, ok?"

He nods, doing as told. The other adults, however, seem to ignore safety protocol.

"Last one to the elevator's a rotten egg!" Bubby shouts as he runs through the lasers.

"We're not racing! Please be careful!" Gordon shouted, keeping a pace in between a speedwalk and a jog as to stay able to see Joshua.

When almost through, Gordon hears two voices actually speaking at once.

"Could you speak individually please?"

First Bubby answered, proudly, "I almost died, Gordon!"

Gordon looks at him like he's nuts, but then glances at Tommy, who had things to say as well.

"I can see... Mr. Freeman there's- there's people in there!"

He looks over to a room that is still intact, but the door was blocked off.

Reaching down to grab Joshua, Gordon debates on what to do.

Then Joshua points to the room.

"They're awake!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy! Very happy with the kudos and {especially} the comments I've already gotten. It's very nice and keeps me going on this!
> 
> Next chapter's gonna have some {mostly made on the spot} OCs! Cause AUs can have those! Look forward to it :>


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some filler basically

Gordon couldn't believe his eyes. Joshua and Tommy were both right. There were some people standing and moving, seeming to have only recently gotten up from the ground.

Three people, one looked to be either a young adult or older teen, and the other two looked much younger, maybe just a bit older than Joshua. They all had the same raven hair.

There was also blood. And a lump under a few jackets. Likely from the actual worker. Great.

Gordon walks over to the window, hoping to get a better look. The eldest happens to look over right then. Hazel eyes meet emerald ones and they're at the window instantly.

"Help us! Please help!"

Gordon tries to put on a reassuring smile as he hands Joshua over to Tommy, who in turn puts him on Sunkist.

"Don't worry, that was the plan." He steps back, looking over the scene. "Could anyone move the rubble in the way of the door?"

"I could probably lift it," Coomer says, not finished with his words, yet silencing there.

"Then what's the problem?"

Coomer gets a quick look of shock before going back to his usual look. "The building is very close to collapsing, Gordon. If I lift that wrong, the whole area of the hall could collapse."

Gordon starts clicking his tongue, thinking. As he did so he swings his crowbar lightly. Looking over the situation again, he decides there's really only one option.

"Ok, kid. I'm gonna need you and your sibling's to stay back. Shield them if you think you need to. I'm gonna break the glass."

Her eyes widen a bit, but she does as she's told.

Gordon readjusts the crowbar to where it's facing the right way and balanced correctly, and swings at the glass. It breaks in one hit. The shattered pieces littered the floor, narrowly going as far as the kids inside.

Taking advantage of the HEV suit, he clears out the rest of the glass shards with his arm. "Alright, watch your step, and get over here."

She nods, holding her sibling's hands bringing them over. She picks one up and hand him over to Gordon. She then picks up the other and steps over the remaining wall.

"Thank you so much, sir!" She says, a relieved smile on her face.

Gordon smiles back, taking Joshua off of Sunkist.

The two new young ones darted to Sunkist the moment they could, happy to see such a large and miraculously unharmed dog. For a moment, Gordon forgot about the problems around him, and a smile appeared on his face. It was quickly dashed when a loud voice called out to him.

"Gordon, let's go!" Was shouted by Bubby. The older man stood by the elevator shaft, waiting.

Gordon rolled his eyes, then looked at the teen by him. "Hey, you wanna come with? We're trying to get out of here."

She looks back and fourth, unsure for a bit, before commenting "I guess we could try that..."

Gordon smiles. "Thing'll be fine. What's your names?"

She looks over at her siblings again, and sighs before answering.

"My names Lily. My brother is Jason and my sister is Sarah."

Gordon nods, glancing over at the little ones and dog. Sunkist didn't seem to mind being climbed on, but he felt as if he should keep an eye on things anyway. Jeez, was he the only responsible one here? "Bubby give Lily the pistol."

"What? No! She should get her own!"

"Dude, you haven't even used it! Just give it to her!"

"No!"

"Bubby!"

The older scientist just crosses his arms, not saying anymore on the matter. Lily looks back and forth before going to Gordon real quick.

"Hey, can I try something?" She whispers to him. Gordon shrugs with little thought. "Go for it kid."

She nods, looks over at Bubby, takes a step, and starts talking.

"Excuse me, Dr. Bubby?"

That got his attention. And in a much more positive way than Gordon expected.

"I understand that you may feel I'm inferior, too much so to be worthy of holding the weapon you've had on you, but I think that's just the reason I should hold it. Someone as great as you probably can get me just a marginal bit better if I were to use your weapon." Who was this kid, a secret psych specialist?

Well, whatever the case, it got Bubby flustered. He was doing a lot of looking around, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, trying to figure out the words he wants to say.

After what felt like way too long, Bubby groaned. He then glanced over at Lily, huffed, turned on the gun's safety, and tossed it over. "Here, I don't need it anyway." Lily caught it by the muzzle after a few juggled attempts.

Gordon would have to try and remember that technique on Bubby, if things don't get too stressful.

"Can we get going now?" The elder scientist says slightly annoyed. Gordon looks over at the elevator, which any of the others could've called over, as Lily calls her siblings and talks to them.

Before clicking the button for the elevator, he heard Sarah ask a loud "Is it safer this way?" He tried to smile and replied honestly, because he didn't want to lie in front of his son.

"We're not quite sure yet, but we'll find out, won't we?"

Gordon then pressed the elavator button. There was a pause, and then a groaning creak sound. Sunkist seemed to recognize it was trouble and pushed Gordon back while getting in the way of the youngest 3's vision.

Gordon groaned and was about to protest when a snap could be heard. Followed by screaming as the elevator came crashing down the chute. Not only was the elevator unstable, but people were in it. He could feel his blood run cold as Coomer spoke without thinking.

"Gordon, you may have killed three innocent lives, but-"

"No I didn't!" Gordon says in a slight rage. "It was a tragic accident!"

Coomer blinked, actually a bit surprised at the outburst.

"Intentional or not, 3 people are now dead, and you most likely sped that up."

Gordon glared at Coomer before motioning to the children. He hoped the point came across. Coomer nodded, changing what he said.

"Now that I think about it, they're likely fine. I overreacted earlier, my apologizes."

A sigh leaves Gordon, and he starts focusing on how to continue. Lily spoke real quick as he did so.

"That whole set-up looks pretty bad. I think my siblings and I will take a different route." Before Gordon can answer, the three are already speed-crawling through the lasers. "Thanks for the pistol!"

They stared at the kids speeding away so well and safely before Gordon turned back to the elevator doors, broke the glass, and had his group continue on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Odds are the next chapter's gonna skip to like, them encountering Forzen or a bit before because this fic's taking a while and my memory is mixed on evens prior to Gordon losing his arm. Sorry about that.

**Author's Note:**

> If anything needs tagged thst I missed, please inform me.


End file.
